Stone 10th Anniversary Ruination: Yuck

[H-ost]

Not as hoppy as I was expecting from this thread... It is actually a little more balanced than I expect an IPA to be. Incredibly delicious and actually a new "go to".

Unless the "10th" is labeled differently, then I am in the wrong thread.

 

[theblaster]

I have to admit, I rarely like the beers from Stone. And I have tried most, several times. On the other hand, I like almost everything that Lagunitas makes, even in styles I typically don't much care for. Sometimes a place just has a house style that works for you (and sometimes not so much).

And then sometimes a dude with a tinfoil hat offers up an opinion about grains...

 

[OldWorld]

I simply wonder...if many folks like these big hop bombs...why not push it to the limit and try 100LBS of hops per barrel...sure it might cost 20$ a pint but what the heck..

 

[jonmohno]

My claims are not unfounded. Russian River uses GMO grain...Unless labeled USDA Organic there is no guarantee that genetic modification of a product has not happened. Corn sugar adjunct is most likely derived from GMO corn products.

Now on to the topic of Stone...Did anybody else find this beer to be a dud? Hot alcohol...super bitter. I can handle bitter just fine but the alcohol content did not help lend complexity to the beer.

I think barley is in the safe zone generally for gmo.There are ways of finding this out but its BS that it isnt labeled without personal reasearch, kinda like how msg can be labeled as spice and like 10 other things in food like "natural flavors". Its pure bs lobbyism,not to metion fraud and mass Franken-food terrorism. And how dare we put the high fructose corn syrup out of buisness -how are they lableing now for deceit.Natural sugar? Initally yeah-its natural corn sugar,but industrily manipulated by man and trashed to save a buck-yes.
Apples are #1 on the dirty dozen list of produce.An apple a day?not any more-unless organic. To think people trying to be healthy only to be injesting over 55 or it could be 100 different detected pesticides.Cancer is real-thats where it is,and its everywhere.Intentionally.Just for profit. They need to list everything that is in that damn apple all 100 pesticides and the effects of injesting them.And warnings,just like cigarettes and alcohol warnings. "They" know what they are doing though determined to keep even healty minded people sick/dead or sterile like the rest.

 

[signpost]

Just had a Ruination 10th Anniversary tonight.

It was delicious. The hops were insane. The malt was present and rich. The alcohol was all but undetectable. Balance.

The various comments about how IPAs and IIPAs aren't supposed to be balanced are BS. Yes, they are supposed to be 'hop bombs', but the bomb can be balanced with a blast proof room. The best beers in any style are balanced. One ingredient or aspect of the brew might be most noticeable, but held in check by a complimentary ingredient.

It's not like people go around gnawing on hop cones instead of drinking beer. Even the biggest hophead wants a bit of grain and alcohol (and maybe even yeast character) to balance out that hop bitterness/flavor/aroma.

 

[jerryteague]

Okie dokie, I was enjoying this thread, until it got weird. Here's a thought, if we ignore the troll, maybe he (or she) will either get bored and find something else to do, or post something besides unfounded, and annoying blabber. Just a thought. Now it's time to drink my GM'ed, pesticide ladened, triple hopped, quadruple IPA with a lemon wedge.....

 

[odinsgift]

Crap, I haven't sprayed my hops yet.

 

[chuckstout]

Im going try and find this beer, i love ruination probably my favorite ipa i can get. The only beer ive had of Stones and didnt like and poured out was a more brown then blank IPA they did with Alchemy and Ninkasi just wasnt a blend of hops i cared for at all.

 

[odinsgift]

I have an extra, do you have something to trade?

 

[Punity]

How is the 10th different from the normal? Btw love the super hopped beers.

 

[bigbeergeek]

The bottle I tried was all hot booze and bitterness and no good hop flavor. Not in prime condition to say the least. A huge disappointment for sure, but I'm not going to blame stone for improper handling/storage.

 

[pm5k00]

Port Brewing has given me nothing but lackluster brews. This Stone 10th Ruination was pretty darn lackluster. I think there are many people who like "hop tea" and booze.

It's quite possible that the freshest bottles of the beer were better tasting.

You obviously don't have the pallet for IPAs, which is fine, just stop drinking them.

 

[MangledMash]

I wish I could get my hands on some. I was in the brewery when they were brewing it. I haven't found it.in Georgia. They told.me.at.the brewery it would be a geographically limited release.

 

[odinsgift]

I may just have to have one of my trading two, to check how they stored in the refrigerator, the last one I have came from somewhere, that I'm almost positive it sat at 85 degrees F or higher for a prolonged period of time, and the others I've had went immediately from the truck to the fridge.

 

[Soma]

For myself, Stone is a 'lowest common denominator' kind of brewery. Everything is ok, nothing is amazing. Haven't had a chance to try the 10th anniversary Ruination but I'd love to get my hands on some.

 

[pohldogg]

I like hops. I like stone. I like ruination. Now that that's out of the way I wasn't a fan of 10. I got a soapy and slight onion flavor from the hops. The rest of the beer was good. Bitterness was as expected and the alcohol was masked well, just didn't like the hop finish. Maybe I'm just getting spoiled by 3 floyds here.

 

[SC_Ryan]

For myself, Stone is a 'lowest common denominator' kind of brewery. Everything is ok, nothing is amazing. Haven't had a chance to try the 10th anniversary Ruination but I'd love to get my hands on some.

Stick to Moosehead, eh.

 

[Beer-lord]

I thought it was great. Bitter for sure, but i kinda planned on that.

5 lbs of hops per barrel and 10.8 ABV. I'm still looking for it locally but did find out that my local pub will have a few kegs of it on August 20th. They'll be a line and it won't last long.

 

[odinsgift]

I just picked up another that is guaranteed refrigerated since delivery, if someone wants one.

 

[android]

The bottle I tried was all hot booze and bitterness and no good hop flavor.

pretty much the same with the bottle a friend of mine shared with me. but that's exactly what i was expecting.

 

[MisterTipsy]

Super bitter and harshly boozy?

I'll pass.

 

[RichBenn]

Port Brewing has given me nothing but lackluster brews. This Stone 10th Ruination was pretty darn lackluster. I think there are many people who like "hop tea" and booze.

TROLL!

In the case you aren't a troll, but instead ignorant (we all are in some subjects), read on.

First, if you aren't a hophead, why are you commenting on this beer? Stone Ruination is an Imperial IPA(hophead) beer; the anniversary edition can be expected to be an ultra/maxi/uber/(insert superlative here) version of Ruination. There are, I believe, at least 125 different beer styles. Pick one you know something about or like!

Case in point - I HATE sweet malty beers, and I HATE clovey, banana yeast found in some belgium and wheat beers. I don't review those beer styles. Why not? They are beers I don't like! Because I am ignorant of what a good example of those beers should be, what benefit would me tasting and commenting on them have to those who do like that style?

But I do love IIPAs, so I can step in here.

An Imperial IPA is high in alcohol, typically low in malt, and high in hops. The alcohol is needed to support the high incidence of hops. You typically need to add a bit of sugar, keep low darker malt percentages, and mash at a low temperature with this style of beer if you really want to highlight the hops. The goal of this style is to highlight the complexity and variety of the hops and hop characteristics - bitterness, flavor, and aroma. To get all three, you MUST drink this beer young, preferably at the brewery. Otherwise, the bitterness component may be all you detect in the hops. It's all about the hops; it's not about the malt.

From the BJCP style guide:

"High to absurdly high hop bitterness"
"Bigger than either an English or American IPA in both alcohol strength and overall hop level (bittering and finish). Less malty, lower body, less rich and a greater overall hop intensity than an American Barleywine"
"A recent American innovation reflecting the trend of American craft brewers “pushing the envelope” to satisfy the need of hop aficionados for increasingly intense products"
"A showcase for hops"
"A long, lingering bitterness is usually present in the aftertaste ..."
"A clean, smooth alcohol flavor is usually present"

And, like I said, the anniversary editions are, well, maxing out the style.

If you don't like those characteristics, move on..... there are many more styles out there. Take a look at the BJCP style guide and pick one that fits your palette. Comment on why you think it's good or bad - Aroma, Appearance, Mouthfeel, Flavor, and Overall Impression.

Then you may not get flamed. Instead you will have a real framework for discussing a beer's quality.

Or maybe you are just a troll, and I took the bait.....

Rich

 

[shaneogle89]

I agree with the above post....if you don't like IPA's, don't review them! I don't like wheat beers so I don't review them. It's not the style I look for.

 

[stairman]

there is a very good reason for me why stone beers will never be bought or drank by me again.
In californian we no longer have a representitive government.Private organizations are welcomed if they pay enough ,into the rule making process.Stone contributes to the surfrider foindation in a big way and they help shut down over forty % of the best fishing spots along the coast of california with no science applied to the decisions helped along with stones contributions.
google MLPA and see what I mean.Sorry this is my first post it being somewhat political but it does have to do with what beer companies we should support when not brewing our own.

 

[MisterTipsy]

I'm buying more Stone beer now that I know that.

Save the fish!

 

[bottlebomber]

TROLL!

In the case you aren't a troll, but instead ignorant (we all are in some subjects), read on.

You mean you aren't familiar with OldWorld? Half of his (his profile says female but I don't believe that) threads are shut down. The other half are straight troll threads that never worked out for him.
Here was a good one.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/russian-river-brewing-sucks-330922/
The brewmaster of the brewery and a rep from Cargill actually got involved to speak up for themselves. A real home run in troll world.

 

[jonmohno]

Good God with the trolls,we get it the people calling them out think they are better or know better.It just makes themselves feel better,yeah im calling you out as well. Show me your wisdom you know better.

 

[skeezerpleezer]

I wish I could get my hands on some. I was in the brewery when they were brewing it. I haven't found it.in Georgia. They told.me.at.the brewery it would be a geographically limited release.

I got it in N Atlanta a couple weeks ago.

 

[Apendecto]

I liked it... it's much better than the original Ruination. It has the amount of hops I typically use in my homebrewed IIPAs. The alcohol was hot at 10.8%, but no other brewery could've made that "taste" smoother. Stone did a good job with what they set out to do. I would have liked less alcohol here, but it's not my decision.

Damn. Basically my exact thoughts. Better than the original, glad I tasted it, but too much alcohol for me.

 

[r2eng]

I liked it, but it was over-the-top. I kinda' expected that! I didn't get the alcohol heat, and I am pretty sensitive to it. My bottles had some amazing hop flavor.

To each his own... that's what's cool about having so many to choose from!

BTW, Port Brewing ROCKS!